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In Minnesota, we take care of each other. It’s not something we have to think about. It’s just what we do. Whether it’s plowing a neighbor’s driveway after a snowstorm, lending a hand when someone falls on hard times or rallying around a family in need, we understand that the strength of our community comes from the kindness and generosity of its people.

I see this spirit of giving and support every day through the employees at Sanford Bemidji. They are not just caregivers within our walls; they are active members of the community who continually find ways to lift up those around them. Their dedication goes far beyond their professional responsibilities. It is deeply personal and rooted in a belief that when one of us succeeds, we all do.

Courtesy / Sanford Health

One of the most powerful examples of this generosity is the way our employees support local nonprofits. Through donations to the United Way of the Bemidji Area, they help fund 23 local organizations that provide essential services from food assistance to shelter programs. In collaboration with our employees, we were able to raise $112,254 last year for the United Way of the Bemidji Area to ensure these organizations could continue their vital work.

But financial support is just one way they give back. Through our paid volunteer time off benefit, every employee can take time away from work without losing pay to serve a nonprofit of their choice for up to eight hours per year for full-time employees and up to four hours per year for part-time employees.

Courtesy / Sanford Health

Whether it’s helping stuff food packs for the Backpack Buddies program, serve meals at Bemidji Community Table or assist with Bemidji Unified Special Olympics events, they are always looking for ways to make life a little better for someone else. Last year alone, they volunteered over 427 hours in our local communities.

Every year, employees participate in a winter clothing drive hosted by the Sanford Housing Program, collecting new and gently used coats, hats and gloves for those experiencing homelessness. During our harsh winters, these donations can make the difference between warmth and suffering. It’s a simple act, but one that speaks volumes about the deep sense of care our employees have for their neighbors.

Courtesy / Sanford Health

In partnership with the Boys and Girls Club, several of our departments and teams choose to sponsor families in need during the holiday season through the Tubs of Love program. What started as supporting a handful of families has since expanded to include supporting 20 local families this past December.

We don’t just work in northern Minnesota; we live here. As members of our community, we understand how important it is to have access to quality healthcare close to home, and we personally invest in making that a reality.

Over the past year, our employees, clinicians and leaders contributed over $170,000 to the Sanford Foundation to fund projects that benefit everyone in the region. Through Sanford employees’ ongoing support, our community has access to a new PET-CT scanner, the Sanford Joe Cancer Center, the expanded Sanford Bemidji Heart and Vascular Center and, in the near future, a 3D mobile mammography truck that will bring critical preventive screenings to women throughout the area.

These advancements aren’t just about medical care. They’re about bridging the gap so that no one has to travel long distances or delay important treatments simply because they live in a rural community.

Beyond these large-scale efforts, employees also take part in the Sanford Employee Community Giveback Grant Program, where every employee is empowered to use their voice to nominate and vote to distribute funds to local nonprofits of their choosing.

This past year, they allocated $19,630 to seven organizations, including Evergreen Youth and Family Services, Headwaters Animal Shelter and Play and Learn for All Abilities, helping further support programs that are vital to our community and important to our employees.

Perhaps the most profound example of this culture of giving is the way our employees take care of one another. When someone is struggling whether due to a personal crisis, unexpected expenses or a medical emergency their coworkers are there to help.

Through the Employee Crisis Assistance Fund, staff can contribute to a pool of funds that any employee in need can apply for. The philosophy is simple: Give what you can, request what you need. Last year alone, this fund provided $29,878 in direct assistance to employees facing unexpected hardships.

Another powerful example of this generosity is our PTO donation program, which allows employees throughout all of Sanford Health to donate their unused paid time off to colleagues in need. Last year, 347 employees donated more than 6,559 PTO hours to support 113 of their coworkers who were facing medical issues, family crises or other challenges.

Courtesy / Sanford Health

One story that stands out is that of our Rehabilitation Services and Rehabilitative Patient Access teams. When a member of their team experienced a health crisis that limited his ability to drive to work and eventually required a multi-month-long recovery, his coworkers stepped in to help.

In addition to helping drive him to and from work and providing his family with meals, his colleagues donated more than enough of their PTO so that he could focus on healing without worrying about how to support his family. It was an incredible act of kindness, but to members of those teams, it was simply the right thing to do.

In many places, work is just a job. But for many of us here at Sanford Bemidji, it’s something more. It’s a community, a group of people who believe in supporting one another both inside and outside of the workplace. That’s the Minnesota way — the Bemidji way. Above all, we are neighbors, friends and compassionate human beings who know that life is better when we lift each other up.

I am deeply honored to work alongside 2,000 peers and neighbors every day. Their remarkable kindness frequently reminds me that true community is not just about where we live, but how we care for one another. In the end, that’s what makes our town, our hospital, our clinics and our people so special.

Karla Eischens, RPh, is the President and CEO of Sanford Health’s Bemidji region located in northern Minnesota. She can be reached at (218) 333-5264 or  karla.eischens@sanfordhealth.org.